So long as you understand there are a few secret ingredients he will sprinkle in during the course of Monday's 8:30 p.m. BCS National Championship Game with hopes of getting the Crimson Tide (12-1) offense cooking against Notre Dame (12-0).

"First off, ball security is the No. 1 thing, then we have to creative explosive plays, convert on third downs and score touchdowns in the red zone,'' Nussmeier said at Saturday's media day at Sun Life Stadium.

"You look at every game plan and look at different ways to attack each opponent you're playing and try to find strategic advantages,'' he said. "We have a base system we're going to run, and then within that system we try to find different intricacies we can do to create advantages for ourselves.''

LSU defensive coordinator John Chavis, regarded as one of sharpest tacticians in the game, has been impressed with Nussmeier's schemes and Alabama's personnel.

How, Chavis was asked, does a defense go about stopping the Crimson Tide's offense?

"It starts with physicality up front,'' said Chavis, whose defenses at Tennessee and LSU have ranked among the nation's elite the past 15 years. "And then you have to understand, they aren't going to do things to get themselves in trouble. They'll go downfield in play-action, but the majority of their offense will be outside of the hashes.

"They'll put the ball where only their offense can get to the pass, and they'll protect their quarterback well.''

The Crimson Tide dealt LSU a 21-17 defeat on Nov. 3 this season, sustaining their championship drive despite being out-gained by the Tigers 435-331 yards.

Alabama scored the game-winning points with 51 seconds left when tailback T.J. Yeldon reeled in a swing pass from AJ McCarron and took it 28 yards for a touchdown.

Chavis, a pressure-oriented coach who schemes to get into the heads of opposing quarterbacks, said McCarron is one tough customer.

"He's a very good player, and he manages the game as well as anyone out there, absolutely way above average in talent,'' Chavis said. "He's not going to have Johnny Football (Manziel) numbers, but what they ask him to do, he'll do it well.''

Chavis had matched wits with Nussmeir once before, when the the Alabama coordinator was then running an offense with current NFL quarterback Jack Locker at Washington.

"Coach Chavis is an excellent coach that I obviously have a lot of respect for, and when I got here (Alabama) there was a lot of film to study with the teams playing each season,'' Nussmeir said. "His defenses are well-coached, and they do a great job forcing you to adjust.''

Nussmeir has had more than a month to prepare for Notre Dame and the Irish schemes masterminded by coordinator Bob Diaco.

Diaco, like Chavis, said stopping the Crimson Tide starts up front with physical play.

"They're the finest collection tackle to tackle that we've faced so far,'' Diaco said. "They're uniquely big and fast, and they have quick twitch. They play very hard; it's not another happy-go-lucky group of offensive linemen. This is an angry, aggressive incense group of players that finishes blocks.

"The offensive line is really the marquee position group of that pretty marquee offense.''

Diaco has also taken note of McCarron's ability to keep the Tide out of trouble and into the right sets and plays.

"The quarterback conducts the game, just like if Nick Saban was taking the snap himself,'' Diaco said. "I mean, he doesn't put the team in bad spots. He doesn't make poor decisions with the ball.

"It's really an incredible organization to watch offensively led by the quarterback.''